Sliding door lock



June 20, 1950 A. VANDERVELD SLIDING DOOR LOCK Filed April 30, 1947 ATTORNEYS Patented June 20, 1950 SLIDING" noon nook Anthony Vanderveld, Grand Rapi ds, Mich, as:

' signor toGrand Rapids Store Equipment Company, Grand Rapids, Mich.,. a corporation of lviichigan Application April 30, 1947, Serial No. 744,922

The present invention relates to a very practical and effective sliding door lock, which in practice is used in store furniture for the back side sliding doors at the upper part of a merchandise holding case. The upper part of the case may contain articles of merchandise on display, or for sale, which are seen through the glass doors, and below the display compartment sliding drawers are mounted which contain merchandise in stock. Of, course, there are other places for use of the invention as in showcases havin sliding glass doors at the front or back and below which there may be a storage compartment or drawers for keeping merchandise in stock like that which is displayed and sold from the showcase.

The object and purpose of the present invention is to provide a hindrance against thievery from showcases during the day by a person standing in front of the showcase. The back of the showcase, where the clerk stands is provided with sliding doors of wood, metal or glass which allow ready access to either end of the case. It is the duty of the clerk to close these sliding doors when momentarily leaving the case, or even immediately after removing merchandise from the case for close inspection by-the customer.

However, should the clerk temporarily leave the case, or even turn his back, there is nothing to prevent the customer from reaching over from the front of the case and operating one of the sliding doors to remove valuable merchandise such as watches, jewelry or other articles of value without detection. These thefts amount to a major consideration in many stores.

There have been various means for locking sliding doors but most of these have been more or less costly, cumbersome and unhandy and difiicult to apply and considerable efiort and motion in front of the customer is necessary. Such actions might offend a bona fide customer and this the proprietor does not want to happen.

My invention consists of manually depressible latches which automatically hold the doors against openin when once the doors are pushed to closed position. However, by a manually operated lever or knob that is convenient to the clerk, but practically inaccessible to the customer, the clerk may depress the latches and again open one or both doors as desired.

By this manner of spring-latching the doors without lock or key no oiiense is given the customer but the articles in the case are made inaccessible to him unless he should manage to get behind the case where he is not allowed be. p

A further part of the invention is a mechanism that renders the manually operable latch depressing means inoperable and holds thelatches themselves firmly inlocked position." This mechanism may be operated by the bolt of a lock-speciallyprovided or it may beoperated by the lockin a single drawer or by a part of multiple drawer locking mechanism.

With my invention, by the use of a very practical, economical and relatively simple mechanism in connection with the display case or compartmentsaid doors are locked against opening, all of the..mechanism utilized in conjunction with the doors. being substantially within the lower door guiding and carrying horizontal member of the display case or cabinet vertical back frame in which the doors are slidably mounted, for opening or closing against entrance therein. 7

An understanding of the invention may be had from the following descriptionftaken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which, I I

Fig. 1 isa fragmentary front elevationshowing theenvironment and placeof application of my i en on. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section through thelower guides for the sliding doors, the lock mechanism associated therewith being shown in elevation, Eig. 3- is a plan view of the lock mechanism associated with the sliding doors and-mounted on ,and assembled with thelower door guides, beforeplacing in said guides the runners upon which the loweredges of the glass doors slide,

Figs. 4, 5 d 7, are enlarged transverse vertical sections on the planes of lines 4-4, 55, 6-6 and '!-,1, respectively, of Fig. 2 looking in the directions indicated by the arrows.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the diiierent figures of the drawing.

As shown in Fig. 1, the upper drawers I, of whatmay be a series of drawers below a display compartment-l in a store merchandise case or cabinet, hasione of said drawers supplied with a key operated-lock 2 at the upper edge. The lock is of anywell known structure wherein a locking bolt or tongue 3 is projected upwardlyor retracte'd'g-in a downward direction by turning a key. The number of drawers l is immaterial. In practice :they are usually disposed in two vertical seriesside by side and may vary in the numbers superimposed in each of said-series.

1. The display compartment above at the back has an open. frame in which sliding doors are mounted. The doors are in parallel but spaced .vertic-al:.plan'es, so that one may be moved past the other and when the opening surrounded by said frameisblosed by the doors, the doors overlap at'their adjacent vertical edge portions. The lower member'of the frame is supplied'withihorizontal channel-like guides. In the structure thereof, a longitudinal channel member of fiat metal is=provided;:having.a horizontal base web-4 with inner and outer vertical flanges 5 bent upwardly from the longitudinal edges of the web. A central vertical plate 6 extending from the web the same distance upwardly as the flanges 5, is parallel to said flanges and located midway between them (Figs. 4 to '7) connected by brackets Go. Where the locking tongue or bolt 3 is located when the drawer I which carries the key operated lock 2 is closed, a slot I is made in the web 4 for. passage of the locking bolt upwardly therethrough.

In the channel grooves, two in number, .provided by the described structure front and rear bars 8 and 9, usually of wood, are received. These bars lie lengthwise of and within the guides provided by the vertical members 5 and 6 and at their upper edges are rounded as shown in Fig. 4. Against the upper edges of the bars '8 and 9, the lower edges of slid-able glass doors III bear (Figs. 4, 5 and 7). The doors may be readily pushed to slide upon the bars 8 and 9. In accordance with common practice, the two doors are of substantially the same width and each a little more than one-half of the longitudinal dimension of the back opening, in the display compartment of the case, which the doors are designed to close. The two doors are in spaced parallel planes so that either may be moved independently of the Other when free to do so, and when the doors are closed, as in Fig. 1, there is an overlapping of the inner vertical edge portions of such doors.

Before the rails 8 and 9 are placed in the lower guide structure, the locking mechanism for the doors is assembled with such structure. Toward one end rear and front flatbars II and I2 are pivotally connected, between their ends and near their outer ends, on the central plate 6 by pivot I3. The bars II and I2 are of the same length (Fig. 3). The rear bar I I, at a distance from its inner end, is provided with a rearwardly struck tongue I4, and the front bar 12 at a lesser distance from its inner end with a iorwardly'struck tongue I5. Each bar outwardly of the pivot I3 hasa light wire spring I6 fixed thereto at one end, extending under the pivot I3. Under tension, and strain from what would be their free positions, they bear against the bottom web 4. The eifect of such springs is to lift the locking bars I I and I 2 at their inner ends, bringing the tongues I4 and I5 ahead of the doors ID at their lower inner cornerswhen the doors are closed to hold the doors against sliding movement so long as said tongues M and I5 occupy upper positions.

A short rod I'l extends through the "front flange '5-and at its inner end is partly cutaway 'a-sh'ort distance below a diameter of the rod, forming an inner projection IIa which passes through an opening in the plate 5 and is under the lower edges of the outer end portions f the locking bars II and I2. At its front end the rod I1 is provided with a turning *pin I8 (Fig. 4) permanently secured and extending radially, so that an attendant at the store may turn the rod IT to lift bars H and I2 at their outer ends and move the tongues II and "I to-a lower position, below the lower-edges of the doors III. Ihe force requiredto turn'the rodI'lis'small.

In the other half of the guide structure-and in the rear channel a fiat bar I9 locatediagainst the rear flange 5 extendsnearly'to theinner ends of the locking bars H and I2iand is bent at-right angles at its inner end to provide'arforwardly extending elongated arm 20, which passes through an opening 2| in the centralJpIate E-(Fig. 2). A tension spring 22, connected at ioneend tothe 4 arm 20 and at the other end to the web 4, normally tends to force the bar 20 to the left (Fig. 2).

At its outer end, the bar I9 is pivotally connected to a generally triangular shaped block 23 at its upper corner or apex. At its lower inner corner the block 23 has a pivotal connection to a bracket 24 fixed on and lying above the web 4.

At its outer lower corner and near the plate 8,

the block 23 is provided with a downwardly extending projection 25, the lower end of which is located in the path of movement of the bolt 3 of the key operated lock 2. When the bolt is moved upwardly by key operation, the block 23 is turned about its pivot connecting it to the bracket 24, and the rod I9 is moved lengthwise to bring the arm 2'0 underneath the lower edges of the lockingbars I I and I2, when both of them are-in upper positions at their inner free ends, as in F ig. 2.

With the drawer l which carries. the lock 2 unlock-ed, that is, with the-locking bolt 3 in lower position as shown in Fig. 2, either of the doors It may beslidably moved to uncover the opening which the doors are. designed :to close in the upper display compartment. .In order to have such 'sliding'movement, the rod I? must be turned to lower the tongue I4 or IE which will stop the door which is to be moved unless such tongue is lowered. The operation of the; rod IT to lower one tongue will simultaneously lower or depress the other, so that both doors are freed for sliding movement. In the lower position of the inner ends of, the. :bars I! and I2, they prevent any longitudinal movement-of the bar I9 because they are in the path of movement of the arm 28. Accordingly, any time that a door W is opened, the lock bolt 3 cannotwbe moved upwardly. Also with the doors closed, the lock bolt 3 cannot be operated unless the rod at H is turned "back to its initial position. to permit the lifting of the tongues I4 and I5 on bars II and I2 hy the springs :I6. A

When the door is unlocked by withdrawing the bolt 3' and thereafter the rod Il is turned from the position shown in Fig.4 through an arc of 30 to' lodegrees, the .slidingdoors are unlocked. .No operation of the lock 2 can take place Whether the doors are in open, partly open or closed positions, either one of :them, so that :during the day when the store is open, the sliding doors may be freely operated and moved to any of the positions whichthey need to occupy. On closing the store--at-night, the doors to, if not closed, must be moved :to their fully closed positions, the rod I'I-returned to its initial position, which elevates the stops provided by the tongues I4 and I5. Then thelock 2 carried-on the drawer I may be key operated with bolt 3, on moving upward- .ly, turning the triangular block 23 :and moving the arm -20 underneath the lower edges of the innerend portions of the locking bars II and I2 so that they. cannot be depressed to lower the tongues It and I5 hy turning the rod H. The bars -8 and il -are properly recessed andcut away so that with the assembly as shown in Fig. 3, suchbars may bedropped into place fromabove. The structure described economically produced, sure in its operation, easily installed and has proven exceptionally satisfactory. With the conventionalmerchandise case, which is many times located against the wall of a store, the position-of the lock -2 and-of the bar I! will bea distance-above the floor, :such'that they are directly accessible to a store attendant approximately at eye levelor below, inmost-cases. Of course, the

accessibility might be less at lower positions and the lock 2 and the rod ll more inconvenient to reach, but that would not seriously interfere with the operability of the invention.

lhe invention is defined in the appended claims, and is to be considered comprehensive of all forms of structure coming within their scope.

I claim:

1. In a structure as described, a frame having a lower horizontal frame member, vertical doors slidably mounted therein one inwardly of the other, holding means engageable with the doors when the doors are closed mounted underneath them within the lower frame member, means normally tending to elevate said holding means to an upper holding position, and manually onerable means movable into engagement with said holding means to prevent lowering thereof to release the doors, with the doors in closed position.

2. A structure as defined in claim 1, said holding means comprising, pivotally mounted levers, one for each door, each having a laterally extending projection adapted to be located at the inner vertical edges of the doors when they are in closed position to hold the doors from sliding movement, and manually operable means for moving said pivoted levers about their pivot mounting to simultaneously lower said lateral stops below the lower edges of the doors.

3. In a structure as described, an open frame having a horizontal bottom member, vertical doors mounted for sliding movement within said frame and extending above said lower frame member, supports for the doors at their lower edges within said lower frame member, one of said vertical doors being located inwardly of the other, two pivotally mounted levers, one for each door, having each a laterally extending projection, said projections extending opposite each other, with the projections located to interpose stops against sliding movement of the doors when they are in closed position, and with the ends of the levers at which the projections are located elevated to position the projections above the lower edges of the doors, means normally moving said levers about their pivots to elevate said projections, and manually operable means accessible at the outer side of said frame for simultaneously turning said levers to lower said projections below the lower edges of the doors.

4. A structure as defined in claim 3, and a longitudinal bar located in the lower portion of said lower frame member having a free end portion normally located beyond the ends of the levers at which said projections are carried, and manually operable means for moving said bar in the direction of its length to pass underneath both of said ends of said levers when they are in upper position, and prevent downward movement thereof.

5. A construction as defined in claim 4, said manually operable means for moving said bar comprising, a key operated look, a drawer slidably mounted underneath the lower door-carrying frame member at one end portion thereof, on which said key operated lock is mounted, said lock having an upwardly movabl locking bolt, and means connected with the bar actuated by said bolt when it is moved upwardly to move said bar into holding position under the ends of said levers.

6. In a structure as described, an open door carrying frame having a horizontal lower member of channel form with a horizontal bottom and outer and inner upwardly extending sides, an elongated vertically positioned plate midway between the sides of said lower member providing two elongated guide channels one positioned inwardly of the other, two vertical sliding doors, at their lower horizontal edges entering said channels, one inwardly of the other, supporting means within the channels upon which the lower edges of the doors are slidably supported, two holding levers pivotally mounted upon said elongated plate between the ends of the levers, one at the inner and one at the outer side of the plate, each of said levers having a projection adjacent its inner end inwardly of its pivot, th projection on th inner lever being adapted to be located at theinner vertical edge of the inner door when it is in closed position, and the projection on the outer lever at the inner vertical edge of the outer door when it is in closed position, yielding means normally tending to lift the inner ends of said levers and move said projections to upper operative positions, and manually operable means engaging with the outer ends of the levers for turning said projections simultaneously to a position below the lower edges of said doors, and as for the purposes described.

7. In a construction as defined in claim 6, means movably mounted within said lower doorcarrying frame member at one side of said elongated plate therein having an arm at one end extending through said plate, said arm being normally located adjacent but beyond the inner ends of said levers, and manually operable means for moving said movable means to position said am underneath the lower edges of the inner ends of said levers, when both are in their lifted position.

8. A structure as defined in claim 6, said projections on the levers, when the inner ends of said levers are below the lower edges of the door, extending under th lower edges of the doors, when the doors are away from closed position.

9. In a structure of the class described, an open door carrying frame having a lower horizontal member, vertical inner and outer doors mounted for sliding movement within said frame and guided at their lower edges by the lower frame member, one of said doors being located in a plane inwardly of the other so that the doors slide past each other, movably mounted holding means to engage with the doors to prevent their sliding when the doors are in closed position, one for each door, means for simultaneously moving said holding means to. a position below the lower edges of the doors to free the doors for sliding movement, and manually operable locking means adapted to be moved into the path of movement of said movable holding means when they are in holding position for the doors, to prevent movement thereof to free the doors for sliding movement.

ANTHONY VANDERVELD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,196,001 Vanderveld Apr. 2, 1940 2,448,748 Vanderveld Sept. '7, 1948 

